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20h ago

Rafah Crossing Reopens on Trial Basis With Tight Limits as Ceasefire Advances

Tied to the next phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the move offers scant immediate relief due to strict screening plus a ban on goods.

Ambulances line up to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing on the way to the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohamed Arafat)
TOPSHOT - Ambulances wait in line at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian Gaza Strip, in northeastern Egypt on the first day of the evacuation of some 50 Palestinian, at the Rafah crossing on February 2, 2026. Gaza's key Rafah border crossing was reopened to Palestinians on February 2, 2026, an Israeli security official said, but Egyptian state-linked media said only 50 people would be allowed to cross in each direction in the early days. The resumption of operations comes after Israeli forces seized control of the gateway to Egypt in May 2024 during the war with Hamas. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
Egyptian ambulances line up to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border from the Egyptian side, following the first day Israel reopened the border between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, in Rafah, Egypt, February 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
A U.N. vehicle escorts ambulances and a bus carrying Palestinian patients in Khan Younis as they travel to the Rafah crossing to leave the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Overview

  • Israeli authorities confirmed a pilot reopening for pedestrians only under coordination with Egypt and oversight by European Union teams, with Israel and Egypt vetting all travelers.
  • Day-one movement fell well short of stated caps, with five medical evacuees allowed to leave Gaza and 12 people allowed to return after lengthy Israeli security clearances.
  • The initial focus is medical evacuations, yet Gaza health officials say roughly 20,000 patients need treatment abroad as Egypt readies hospitals and ambulances to receive cases.
  • Commercial shipments remain barred, limiting humanitarian impact even as officials indicate traveler quotas could rise if procedures operate smoothly.
  • Israel moved to terminate Doctors Without Borders’ operations in Gaza by February 28 under new staff-list rules, while strikes continued in the enclave, underscoring the ceasefire’s fragility.